Thickness checking fixture



April 6, 1965 w. B. cocKs 3,176,402

/NVE' N TOR.'

April 6, 1965 w. B. cocKs THICKNESS CHECKING FIXTURE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 18, 1962 3,i76,42 Patented prx, y1965 3,176,402 THICKNESS CHECKHG FIXTURE Walter B. Cocks, Des Moinealowa, assignor to Meredith I ublishingV Company, Des Moines, Iowa, a corporation ofA Iowa .Filed..`lune.18, 19.62,'Ser. No. 203,179 6 Claims. (Cl. 33-147) This invention relates to a thickness checking xture `that involves the use of `a dial gauge .and in whichiluid .pressure provides a uniform pressure of a feelcr element on work supported on an anvil of the fixture so that the samethickness reading is given regardless of who takes .it thus eliminating variations caused by either manual or spring pressure such as used in othertypes of gauges, a particularly important consideration where the material being gauged is of resilient character.

One object ofthe invention is toV provide a readily controllable and always uniform gauging pressure in a fixture of the thickness checking type.

Another object is toprovi'de a pneumatic device which applies uniform resilient pressure sothat two readings made on the same-spot at two different times will be precisely the same and will not 'depend upon the operator Y and how much pressure he might apply.

Still another object is to provide a thickness checking fixture whichis capable of `accuratevreadingto plus or minus .0001 and which uses fluidpressure and can be accurately adjusted andcontrolledso as to always have the same given pressure on any thickness of material since the fluid pressure is-utilized to exert the same pressure automatically regardless of therthickness of the material.

j Particularly in measuring resilient materials, my fixture makes it possible to measure comparative thicknesses sincesome compressiontakes placewhereas to measure exact thickness a gauge using zero pressure-would be rel quired. Some pressure, however, is necessary and bythe use of a pressure regulating valve furthe-Huid pressure used I can adjust for a minimum satisfactory for good gauge performancewhereas heavier^ pressures may be normally desired depending on type of materialsuch as metal as distinguished from packingused in theprintingindustry. The recent trend inthe printing industry isl to closer tolerances both for metal printing plates and the resilient packing that is used-on printing cylinders and therefore there is a need for an accurate thickness checking xture such as I disclose herein. n A further object is to provide a thickness checking fixture in which fluid control means isy also used to actuate ythe feeler ofthe fixture tospread it with respect to the anvil to permit the insertion of the work andto thereafter bring the feeler into contact with the work,-ow-control valve arrangements being provided to insure against violent contact of the feeler with the workthus eliminating the possibility ofdamage to the fixture as when manuy ally contacting the fixture parts with the Work.

, illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawings, where- FIG. ,1 is. a side elevation of the upper end of my thickness checking fixture showing a table vassociated therewith y Afor supporting flat .work to be checked.

FlG. 2 is a front elevation ofFIG. l. FIG. 3 is a side elevation partly in section of the fixture and a ycylindrical packing support applied thereto for checking `the thickness of packing as used in printing f presses. f

FIG. 4 is a front elevation of FIG. 3.

nabove. vplates and other flat material to be thickness-checked such FIG. 5 is an enlarged Vertical sectional lview on .the line 5-5 of FIG. 2 showing details within a head of the fixture.

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of FIG.5 and the fluid pressure system I utilize in conjunction with my thickness checking fixture and showing the parts in one position, and

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views similar to a portion of FIG. 6

showing the parts in other positions duringv operation.

On the accompanying drawings I have usedV the reference numeral 10 to indicate a base of my thickness checking fixture. An anvil column 12 extends upwardly therefrom and terminates in an anvil 18. ISpaced from the anvil column 12 is a gauge column 14 extending upwardly from the base 10 and toward the anvil 18. The gauge column terminates in a head 16 located above the anvil 1S.

As shown. in FIG. l antable'ZtB having .supporting legs 22 may be associated with the anvil 18,V blocking 24 being provided between a crosshead 26 of the anvil .column 12 and the top of the table for locating such top in respect to the anvil so that the anvil projects only slightly there- This table is .suitable for ksupporting printing Aof supporting rods 32 which atA each end may be carried by brackets 34 vertically adjustable or slidable on pins '36 carried by a supporting bar 38 secured to the crosshead 26 as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FlG. 5 a cylinder 4o is located within the head 16 and has a piston S42 -slidable therein. A piston rod 44 is connected with the piston 42 and extendsfrom bothV ends of the cylinder di?. On its lower end it hasa main feeler element 46, and a dial gauge S48-is mounted on its upper end, the gauge having a fecler pin 50 and the head 16 having ananvil 52 therefor. The -gaugey 48 is supported on abracket 54 which in turn-is supported on the shoulderedupperend of the piston-rod 44 bya nut '56. The bracket 54 is slidable in a vertical guideway 5S to keep the gauge 4S in-proper alignment with the anvil 52.

A cover 6i) is provided 'for the-head 16 and has-therein a closure glass 6?. for the gauge-48. A lock 64 has a lock arm '66 normally engaging'in a slotdof the head 16 to hold-the cover .60 in position. The'lock Gamay be unlocked for opening .the cover 60 to gain access to the rim70 of the dial gauge 43 for rotating it andthereby the scale of the dial in the usual manner for-zeroingl the gauge.

Referring to FIG. 6 a compressed-air -supplyv-pipe is illustrated at 72 leading to a control panel 73. A filter fFILf a pressure regulator valve Nl-PR and an air line lubricator LUB are associated with the -control panel 73, the pressure regulatorbeing adjustable by means of an adjusting handle 74. and the output pressure thereof being indicated on a pressure gauge 76.

lConduits v78 and Si) leadfrom thelower andl upper ends of the cylinder ed respectively to a control valvei92 which is also connected with the'lubricator LUBH and an exhaust conduit 90. Flow-control valves-82 and 8e areprovided in the conduits 78 and-80, and check valves YS6 and SS shunt the flow-control valves and open toward the cylinder 4t). This arrangement provides-a fluid pressure control system for my thickness checking gauge operable in the following described manner.

Initially the gauge 48 may be zeroed in` by ,setting the pressure regulator valve V-PR at the desired pressure as indicated on ,the gauge '76 for the kmain feeler element 46 with respect to the anvil 18. For this purpose the control valve 92 is pushed toward the right as indicated vby the arrow 94 and assumes the position shown that indicates the `thickness of the material.

Ain FIG/.6 Yso thatair flows Yintother top ofthe cylinder l 40and out of the lower end thereof. Whatever pressure is in the conduit on the output side of the pressure regulator valve is thus appliedV to the'top of the piston 42 so that a predetermined pressure of the'` main te'elerY element 46 against the anvil-18 is had.' At the same time the feeler pin 50 of the gauge 48 is infengagement with` the anvil 52 andthe dial'of thegauge Ymay nowvbe rof dif' = means havingY amain feelerfv element projecting downi '.wardly from'said head in alignment with said main anvil',

tated .so that zero thereof matches the indicating needle of the gauge'as shown in FIG. Y6. This, of course, is done with the covert60removed and after once'set Vthe cover may be replaced for enclosing the gauge and associated parts against damage.

When the control valve 92 is shifted towards the left `it will reverse the flow of iluid pressure in the cylinder 40 so as to raise the gauge 48 and the main feeler element 46 to provide spacel between the'feeler element andthe anvil 18 .(FIG. 7) for entry of the material 28 to be gauged'` After such en try the control valve .92'fmay again be positioned as in FIG. 6 for lowering the ,element 46 into contact with. the material being'gaugedV (FIG. 8),v and the feeler pin 50 will engage the anvil 52A Y and rotate the needle of the dial `gauge to a position The main feeler element 46 isthus always contacted .with the material at the same pressurea-s'long as the pressure 'regulating valve is kept at the pressure set.V A desired pressure isY decided upon and kthe pressure regulator valve be exerted duringv the thickness checking operation.`

ByV the use of the how-control valves 82 and 8,4 and the check valves 86 and 88 the fluid pressurermayow 'l 1 rapidly to the cylinder but be checked against rapid movement whenV flowing away from the cylinder whereby the owrcontrol valve 82 may be" adjusted to control the downward motion of the piston' and the ow 4control valve 84 may be adjusted for Vcontrolling the upward motion thereof. Iny general the downward motion should and meansv for selectively supplying actuating fluid under predetermined pressure to said cylinder.r to move said piston; and thereby said main feeler Yelement into contact with work on said 'main anvil.

2. Ina thickness checking iixture, a main anvil, a gauge supporting head overhanging said main lanvil in VVfixed'relation-thereto, a cylinder Iin said head, a piston therein, Vsupportingmeans carried by said piston, a dial gauge carried by said` supporting means, a zeroadjust anvil'carriedbyV said head'in position to be engaged bythe feeler pin of said dial gauge, said supporting means f f having av main feelerv element projectingv downwardly from said head in alignmentA with said main anvil, and

means for supplying fluid under selective pressure to' one end of said cylinder'to move said piston and thereby said main feelery element into contact with Work on said mainl anvil or to the other end of said cylinder to move said main feeler element away from Vsaid main anvil.

3; In a. thickness checking fixture, a main anvil, a

`gauge supporting head overhangingsa-id main anvil in fixed relationuthereto, a cylindercarried by saidhead,

a piston in said1cylinder,1supporting means carried by said piston, a dial gauge;V carried .by said supporting Y, means, a' zero adjust anvil'carried by said head in poset therefore whereupon the same pressure will always be relatively slower to' prevent violent contact of the feeler element 46`with'the material being Ychecked and possible damage to theY iixturewhereas the upward rno-V tion can .bel faster for shortening the operating time.

My thickness checking fixture Y as herein disclosed makesfpossibleaccurate checking of thickness withassured uniform Vpressure Aduring the checking' operation sition to be engaged by the feeler pin of said dial gauge, said supporting Vmeans, rhaving a main feeler element projecting downwardlyfrom said head in'alignmeut with said main anvil, and means to control'the movement of said piston in said cylinder and thereby said` supporting `meansv comprising a controlrvalve for uid pressure to drive said piston in either direction relative tosaid cyllinder,one direction to move said mainffeeler element -into contact with Work on Vsaid main anvil and the other directionto-movevsaid main feeler element away from said main `anvi1a nda pressure regulating valve for adjusting lthe pressure of such fluid pressureVA and thereby the pressure of said main feeler element on thework.

4. A thickness checking xture comprising a base', an

. anvil column extending upwardly therefrom, a main anvil carriedrby the upper end of said anvil column, a gauge Y columnspaced horizontally from said anvil vcolumn and and every time the device is operated; This is particu-'- larly important in connection with resilient packing such as shown at 30 in FIG. 3 soasV togive some pressureg..

but very light pressuretfor instance'S p.s'.i. on the-gauge 48) to theffeeler operationY whereas ordinarymanual A thickness checking operations depend 'upon' the "feel of theoperator which may lvary greatly from one checking operation to ano-ther. y Thus, mechanical accuracy is assured and variationsy due to the kfeel by the operatorat different times or to the feel by V different operators is entirely eliminated.'

extendingl upwardly from'said base, a cylinderfcarried by said gauge column, a piston therein having gauge sup- *porting means, va dial gauge carriedby said supporting *means a zero adjust anvil carried by said vgauge column in positiontoY be engaged by the feeler pin of said dial gauge, said supporting means having a main feeler elemain anvil, and means forv selectively lsupplying uid Y pressure under predetermined pressure to either end of said cylinder to vmove said piston therein and thereby said Vmainfeeler element in eitherV direction relative to Some changes Ymaybe made in the construction and arrangement of the par-ts of my thickness checking iixture Y* without departing from the. real spiritand purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to rcover bymy claims `any modifiedY forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalentsfwhich Ymay reasonably beV included .within `their scope. r. 1

Iclaim'a's my invention: 1. A'V thickness Vcheckingrxture Yof Vthe character Vdis'- closed comprising a base, lan anvilV columnl extending upwardly thereform, a main anvil' carried bythe upper anvil carried by said head in position to be engaged by the feeler pin of said dialgauge, said supportingV saidgauge column.

Y5. A thicknessaohecking xture comprising a Vmain anvil, `a head, means for rigidly supporting said main f anvil and said head with respect to each otherwith the head above theanvil, a cylinder located Yin said head, a pistonfin said Vcylinder and having aA piston rod extending "therefrom,afmain, feeler element on the lower end of said pistonrod, a dial gauge carried by said piston rod, f a zero adjustzanvil carried bygsaid'head Yin position to be' engaged by the feeler pin of saidV dialgaug'e, means to control the movement of said piston in said cylinder comprising-a control valve for uid'pressureto either end rofrrsaidY cylinder, and avpressurefregulating valve for adjusting such uid pressure and Athereby theA pressure of said Ymain feeler element on the work.

6. A `thickness checkingy fixture comprising a main anvil, aghead,.means fori rigidlyv supporting said main anvil and said'head with respect to eachother with the head above Vthe anvil, a Cylinder located in said head, a

' piston in .said cylinder and having a piston rod extending therefrom,1a {rnain feelerr'element on the lower end ment projecting from said head in alignment rwith said 5 6 of said piston rod, a dial gauge carried by said piston of said cylinder, and a check valve shunting each of said rod, -a zero adjust anvil carried by said head in posit-ion flow-control valves and opening toward the cylinder. Ito be engaged by the feeler pin of said dial gauge, means to control the movement of said piston in said References Cited in the me 0f this I'ffllt cylinder comprising a control valve for fluid pressure 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS to either end of said cylinder, a pressure regulating valve for adjusting such fluid pressure and `'thereby the preslsgmer "1" Llr' sure of said main feeler element on the Work, owrunot et a ay control valves between said control valve Iand the ends FOREIGN PATENTS 425,029 Germany Feb. 12, 1926 

1. THICKNESS CHECKING FIXTURE OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED COMPRISING A BASE, AN ANVIL COLUMN EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM, A MAIN ANVIL CARRIED BY THE UPPER END OF SAID ANVIL COLUMN, A GAUGE COLUMN SPACED HORIZONTALLY FROM SAID ANVIL COLUMN AND EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID BASE, SAID GAUGE COLUMN HAVING A HEAD OVERHANGING SAID MAIN ANVIL, A CYLINDER IN SAID HEAD, A PISTON THEREIN, SUPPORTING MEANS CARRIED BY SAID PISTON, A DIAL GAUGE CARRIED BY SAID SUPPORTING MEANS, A ZERO ADJUST 